A husband and wife in their twilight years return to their summer home nestled at the edge of a beautiful lake surrounded by tall trees and the sights and sounds of a small community seemingly untouched by the rapid progress of time.

Spending the summer months in such an atmosphere would remind most disillusioned folks that being alive is a grand thing. However, this elderly pair must battle with the negative energy of the husband struggling to come to terms with his own mortality.

Temecula Valley Players presents “On Golden Pond,” opening today and continuing through Feb. 17 at Old Town Temecula Community Theater.

During the late 1970s, playwright Ernest Thompson was motivated in part to write “On Golden Pond” by Great Pond in Maine. The effect was magical, for his charming examination of the family unit has been embraced by performing arts companies across the country and received numerous awards, beginning with the Best Actress Tony for Frances Sternhagen.

And, of course, the 1981 film became the vehicle for Henry Fonda’s Academy Award-winning swan song alongside legendary Katharine Hepburn, who snagged her fourth Oscar.

Local director Terri Miller Schmidt discussed her experiences during the eight weeks of rehearsals.

“I’ve seen the play several times and know that directors tend to make it tender and loving,” she said. “However, Thompson envisioned a study of dysfunction. So we have tried to blend both elements. Norman is irascible and cantankerous, and it all comes from his fear of senility.”

Ethel responds to her husband’s prickly behavior with her own brand of sarcasm and humor. The combination of this mixture tends to have a heart-tugging effect on audiences.

Miller Schmidt and her actors recognize the sentimental moments evident in the script, but rather than pander to them, they have tried to remain within the boundaries of realism.

“Norman and Ethel argue quite a bit, which caused somewhat of a challenge for Patti Drew and Billy Clebeck,” Miller Schmidt said. “They’ve worked together and been close friends for many years, so it was not easy for them to sustain the tension that exists between their characters.”

Another major conflict involves Norman and Ethel’s daughter Chelsea (Kate Smithyman), whose relationship with her father has endured years of unresolved awkwardness and opposing viewpoints. With her fiancée (Derrick Spencer) and his son (Cole Harvey), Chelsea pays her parents a visit, which launches the plot into high gear.

“Temecula Valley Players stages a variety of plays, including musicals, comedies, and dramas,” Miller Schmidt said. “Each season we try to provide something for everyone. Typically, our shows feature large casts, but this one requires only six.”